JOURNAL OF FOREST SCIENCE, 50, 2004 (10): 456–463 The ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) of forest altitudinal zones of the eastern part of the Krušné hory Mts. E. KULA, L. PURCHART Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic ABSTRACT: By means of Sörensen’s index and Renkonen’s number, the differences in species composition and abundance of the ground beetles (Carabidae) were specified in 5 forest altitudinal zones (3rd, 5th–8th) and also the faunal similarity in the linking-up forest altitudinal zones. The entry of some species (Carabus coriaceus, Carabus violaceus, Pterostichus niger and Pterostichus oblongopunctatus) into higher altitudes was much more marked than is mentioned in hitherto published information. The objective of the present study was to explore the potential use of the ground beetles as an ancillary component of the geobiocoenological typological system. Keywords: ground beetles; Carabidae; forest altitudinal zones; Krušné hory Mts. It is necessary to obtain additional data on the animal fauna in stands of blue spruce (Picea pungens Engelm.). component in order to characterise the basic and super- BRABEC (1989), ŠUSTEK (1993, 2000), NENADÁL (1993) structural units of the geobiocoenological typological and ROHÁČOVÁ (2001) examined the Carabid beetles in system (BUČEK 2000), because we see that changes in forest altitudinal zones. populations of important animal species, in terms of bio- The objective of the present study is to characterise the indication, can be used to evaluate the situation and trends Carabid fauna of birch stands in forest altitudinal zones in the development of forest geobiocoenoses. (FAZ) in the eastern part of the Krušné hory Mts. The ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) belong to the most numerous families of beetles (530 species in the MATERIAL AND METHODS Czech Republic), their distribution being cosmopolitan (35,000 species) (HŮRKA, ČEPICKÁ 1978; HŮRKA 1992, In accordance with typological investigations, 20 birch 1996). Their bio-indication importance (HŮRKA et al. (B. pendula) stands were selected in the eastern part of the 1996) is derived from their dependence on specific con- Krušné hory Mts., i.e. Forest Management Plans of the areas ditions of the site (humidity, temperature, soil pH, etc.), Litvínov, Klášterec nad Ohří, Červený Hrádek, which repre- which creates conditions for their potential use in practice sent the pivotal spectrum of forest types (FT) in the 3rd oak- when elaborating descriptions and characteristics of the beech, 5th fir-beech, 6th spruce-beech, 7th beech-spruce and groups of geobiocoenosis types (STG). HOLUŠA (2003) 8th spruce forest altitudinal zones (PLÍVA 1991) (Table 1). reached the same conclusions with book lice (Psocop- The criterion for the selection of the areas was an tera). PULPÁN (1968, 1971) and PULPÁN and REŠKA 80–100% composition of birch (B. pendula) and minimal (1971) reported altitudinal zoning of the ground beetles stand area > 1 ha. and their preference to certain altitudes. The ground beetles were collected using the method of In the Krušné hory Mts. and Děčín Sandstone Uplands formalin ground traps (NOVÁK et al. 1969). Four-litre jars the Carabidae fauna has been explored in stands of sub- containing 2.5 litres of a 2–4% solution of formaldehyde stitute tree species with dominant birch (Betula pendula were placed in the stand in lines (5 jars 10 m apart). The Roth) for a long time and has been used for various faunal traps were placed on 1. 5. 2003 and collections were con- and ecological studies (KULA 1992, 1997; KULA et al. ducted in 6-week intervals (3. 6., 15. 7., 28. 8. and 29. 10.). 2002, 2003, 2004). FARKAČ (1996) described the Carabid The trapped insects were preserved in 75% ethanol. The study was elaborated within the Project of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic No. 1Q46002, Research Plan of the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports MSM No. 434100005, with the participation of a PhD student from Grant No. 526/03/H036 of the Czech Science Foundation. The following regional joint-stock companies, firms and state administration authorities funded the project: Netex and Alcan Děčín Extrusions, District Authority in Děčín, Setuza in Ústí n. L., ČEZ Praha, Lafarge Cement in Čížkovice, North Bohemian Mines in Chomutov, Dieter Bussmann in Ústí n. L. 456 J. FOR. SCI., 50, 2004 (10): 456–463 Table 1. Classification of stands according to the forest altitudinal zones and edaphic series Forest altitudinal zone 3 5 6 7 8 Edaphic series K S K S A F K N O S Z G K R* S V G Q R Locality 4 3 2 13 15 16 20 12 14 10 18 5 1 8, 19 11 17 9 6 7 *Forest type 7R in two stands The species and sex of the ground beetles were deter- The number of species and captured specimens differ- mined according to HŮRKA (1996), and the nomenclature entiated the Carabid fauna of the investigated FAZ. The according to PULPÁN and HŮRKA (1993). highest captures were confined to the 3rd FAZ, the most A number of standard faunal indexes was used to evalu- abundant fauna was discovered in the 7th and 6th FAZ (42 and ate the carabidocoenoses of the forest altitudinal zones 35 species, respectively). The 5th FAZ differed markedly (LOSOS 1980): from the other FAZ in terms of its composition of the – dominance (D) – expression of the composition of the sub-recedent species (29.4%); their proportion was 62.8% zoocoenosis in per cent in the FAZ using a 5-grade (6th FAZ) and 70.8–73.8% (3rd, 7th and 8th FAZ). scale according to Schwer dt f eger (1975), Members of the genus Carabus occupied a major po- – Sörensen’s similarity index (Sö) – calculation of the sition in the 3rd and 5th FAZ (61–64%), which was also species identity of two or more biocoenoses (FAZ), maintained in the FAZ of higher altitudes, but on a quan- – similarity of dominance – Renkonen’s number (Re) titatively lower level of dominance (44–55%) (Table 5). – calculation of similarity of biocoenoses (FAZ) us- Members of the genus Pterostichus occupied the cleared ing the dominance of species occurring in parallel in space in the 3rd FAZ – 12.6%; 5th and 6th FAZ – 21.35 to compared coenoses (FAZ). 24.6%; and 7th and 8th FAZ – 39.8–37.5% (Table 5). The conversion key (LÖW et al. 1995) enabled interpre- The composition of the genus Abax in the 3rd, 5th–6th tation of the results of ŠUSTEK (2000) based on geobio- FAZ was eudominant and in the FAZ of higher altitudes coenological units according to ZLATNÍK (1976). it virtually disappeared. The composition of the other genera is of minor importance for the characteristics of RESULTS the individual FAZ. The changed dominance of the genus Carabus in the The ground beetles in birch stands according to FAZ of lower altitudes (3rd and 5th) was significantly de- forest altitudinal zones pendent on the presence of the species C. hortensis and C. nemoralis, while the other two species of the genus In 2003, 5,373 specimens of the Carabidae family Carabus were sub-recedent. The genus Carabus was the were captured belonging to 64 species in 20 birch stands most species-abundant genus in the 6th FAZ (8 species, situated in 5 forest altitudinal zones of the eastern of the of which only 2 species were sub-recedent). The spe- Krušné hory Mts. (Table 2). cies spectrum of Carabus receded at the higher altitudes On the basis of one-year collection marked differences (7th–8th FAZ) (Table 2). The overall increased dominance in the population of ground beetles were discovered be- of the genus Pterostichus in the FAZ is accompanied by a tween the 3rd (656 specimens/stand) and 5th–8th FAZ significant increase in the abundance, i.e. from 3 species (218–244 specimens/stand) (Table 2). The faunal similar- (3rd and 5th FAZ) to 6–7 species (6th–8th FAZ). P. niger ity of the individual FAZ, derived from Sörensen’s index and P. oblongopunctatus occupied a major position. The (Table 3) and Renkonen’s number (Table 4), revealed a species abundance of the genus Amara in the 7th FAZ with similar regularity with only a few exceptions. According 8 registered species is beyond any comparison (Table 2). to Sörensen’s index the successive FAZ are generally very close to each other in similarity, i.e. 5 × 6, 6 × 7, 7 × 8, at DISCUSSION higher altitudes also FAZ 6 × 7 × 8 (Table 3). Renkonen’s number also confirmed this regularity when a distinct di- Characteristic of the investigated region of the eastern vergence in the similarities occurred in FAZ 3 × 5 and 5 × 6 part of Krušné hory Mts. is a sudden, short and abrupt as compared to FAZ 6 × 7, 7 × 8 (Table 4). The similar- transition between the 3rd and 5th FAZ, where the 4th FAZ ity between the 5th and 7th to 8th FAZ was lower (Tables 3 is such a small area that it is not demarcated within the and 4). The faunal similarity of the 3rd FAZ draws near to forest management plan area. It can be assumed that the the 5th and 6th FAZ, the similarity with the 7th FAZ being similarity between the 3rd and 4th FAZ is high, because considerably lower and that with the 8th FAZ relatively ŠUSTEK (1976) also mentioned the link-up between the high (Tables 3 and 4). neighbouring FAZ. For typological use, however, the Changes in the species composition are dependent fauna has to be evaluated within the forest type complex on the ecological demands of the individual species; and it is necessary to know to what extent the tree species some of them increase or, on the contrary, decrease and the stand conditions are able to modify the numerical their dominance and abundance with increasing altitude and species composition.